


The Bachelor

by Blueberryshortcake



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Bachelor!Tucker, Blue's Micro Aus, Cameraman!Wash, M/M, Prompt Fill, The Bachelor AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 07:24:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15858963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberryshortcake/pseuds/Blueberryshortcake
Summary: One night during filming reality star Lavernius Tucker sneaks into the break room of his camera crew.





	The Bachelor

**Author's Note:**

> Original Prompt: If you still want au ideas, I'd love something with Tucker as the bachelor in The Bachelor and with Wash working on set!

”So, it must be hard.”

Wash glanced up. The Bachelor himself. 

“Is this the part where you say bow–”

“Uh! No–I mean… that’s just for… the camera, you know?” Tucker ran his fingers through his short hair. 

Wash took a sip of coffee, “So for me.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the camera after all.”

“Ah, right…” 

Wash waited a beat. “You know you’re not supposed to be back here.”

Tucker shrugged. “Kinda hard to find privacy.”

“From the cameras?” Wash teased.

“You know what I mean… gonna rat me out?”

Wash gestured to the empty seat beside him. It was late. Not a lot happened this time of night so only a skeleton crew was present, just in case something steamy went down. Was usually worked Date Shift, but traded with Caboose. 

Grif was also on break, but probably napping, and Simmons was mysteriously absent, so it was just Wash at the table downing coffee and a croissant. 

“Thanks, dude,” Tucker sat down beside him leaning one of his elbows on the table as he faced Wash looking him over. 

“So what’s hard?”

“Wha!?”

“You said it must be hard.”

“Oh,” Tucker ducked his head. All the smoothness he oozed during filming left him. “Never mind.” 

Wash sipped his coffee and waited.

“I was gonna say, it must be hard, looking at me all day.” 

Well… not for the reason Tucker probably meant. It had been a weird run. Tucker’s favourites changed more than usual, even on this sort of show. First it was Melissa, then Kaylie, then Jonah, then Max. The person he was snug with two weeks ago was let go of this week. It probably made for good TV, but didn’t put Tucker in the best light. Not to mention he kept mugging for the camera which always made getting good shots difficult. It was supposed to be ‘reality’ not acting. 

“Ah… no, it’s my job.” 

“Who would you pick?” Tucker asked.

“Who would I…?” Wash frowned. “I don’t think I’m allowed to … say that.” 

“What if none?”

“The point is you have to pick someone. Not that you have to stay with them I guess,” Wash yawned. “I think a lot of previous contestants break up. A few make it though.” He looked at Tucker. “I thought you were … hitting it off with people.”

“Yeah I guess… I guess you’re always there right?”

“Not always.”

“Yeah… I missed you on the roller date.” 

Wash laughed. Tucker made it sound like they were the ones going out.

“It’s fun you know? All the attention? And everyone is actually really cool and nice and shit, they’re all babes and stuff, but… I don’t know. It’s not…” Tucker struggled for a moment. “I thought it’d be a perfect click, with this many people.” 

Wash snorted. “That’s kind of naive.” 

Tucker looked at him balefully. “I’m opening up man.”

Wash waved his hand. “Okay, sorry. I guess that seems like a surprisingly old fashion notion from you.”

“From a guy that goes on a reality show to meet people.”

“Well…”

“Yeah. Okay, the thing is, last two dates I haven’t been… focused on my dates,” Tucker said slowly. 

“Yeah, you keep mugging for the camera, you need to stop doing that by the way. Just trust I’ll get your best side. I know it.”

“You know my best side?” Tucker’s voice went just a little bit high, but Wash didn’t notice.

“Yeah, that’s my job. Watching you, getting your best side. You’re a hot guy, it’s not going to be hard to make you look good for the camera.”

“You think I’m hot?” Tucker jumped at it. Wash startled.

“What?”

“You said I’m hot.”

“I–I mean yeah…” 

“Yeah…!”

Had he missed something.

“I just have to pick someone on the show,” Tucker sighed after a long silence. “And make it good for TV.”

“That’s what the Execs are hoping,” Wash shrugged.

“Fu–!!” Simmons squawk pulled their attention. “You’re not supposed to be back here! Wash, what the hell, I’m telling Sarge about this.”

Wash sipped his coffee, “And then you can tell Sarge where you were all break.”

“Fuck, fine, but you, out, go … kiss someone, or sleep, or something, Christ.”

“Hey!” Tucker protested.

Simmons shooed Tucker out of the crew quarters and back into the Bachelor Pad. 

“Where’s Grif?” Wash asked causally. Simmons went beet red. 

“Shut up.” 

-

The one rose left to give moment was a big deal. Everyone was on hand. They had six cameras going. Wash got centre. It had been weird, continuing to watch Tucker ‘date’ the contestants knowing he didn’t really seem to have feelings for them, but then, maybe he did. He seemed happy on the dates. He got more consistent, although Donut on Confessionals said he was pretty clear there was no clear winner. 

“I just want to … apologize,” Tucker began. “Because maybe I sorta wasted everyone’s time.”

“What?” Church’s voice went an octave higher off camera. Wash was too well trained to glance back, but sensed Caboose rushing over to calm him down. This was his project after all. 

“What do you mean?” Bethany and Will asked.

“I don’t… love you. Either of you. And I don’t think you guys love me either,” Tucker explained. “And I don’t think we ever will… but I… well… I do want to still choose someone today, if that’s cool,” He fiddled with the rose. He was the guy sneaking in for some privacy those weeks ago again. His smoothness gone. 

“Shit,” Tucker said quietly. “Okay, so… uh…” He started moving towards the Camera, Wash’s camera… what was he doing?

“Okay well–”

Tucker tried to tilt his head behind the camera, but Wash moved it to keep his face in frame, almost bumping him.

“No, wait dude, I want to– listen.”

Wait is he talking to him?

Wash moved his head out from behind the camera. Tucker was in front of him holding a rose. All the other cameras were pinned to him.

“Uh!” 

He dropped his voice, which was useless because he was wearing a microphone.

“Listen after this I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again so I have to ask now. I–can we grab a coffee or something?”

“W–What?!” Wash squeaked. Wash looked around wildly, but no one was about to save him. Everyone was too focused on the drama. 

Shit.

“Uh!” There was a reason he preferred a job behind the camera. “You’re… asking a camera man out… that has been filming you for months. Don’t you think–”

“It says something about me? Yeah probably, but I still like you.”

“Is this…” Wash dropped his voice, “A good for TV bit?”

“What? No! I–like you, and…” Tucker seemed to notice the cameras. Maybe he had forgotten. “Oh shit.”

Wash smiled despite himself. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”

“None,” Tucker held out the rose. “Just coffee?”

Wash took the rose, it was good TV after all… and… 

After so long he wanted to get to know Lavernius Tucker, off camera.


End file.
